via vi.sualize

It’s good to be  Miuccia Prada, founder of a fashion house with enough bite to inspire the film title The Devil Wears Prada, and enough influence to order non-model types off the cast list of extras for Metropolitan Opera‘s production of Giuseppe Verdi‘s Attila.

Originally reported by Papermag, the designer recently met with women who were cast as extras months ago for fittings.  Miuccia wasn’t pleased with their figures, groaning “I cannot clothe them! I need models.”

In a disheartening end, the designers influence was strong enough to dismiss the women from their roles and the Met is now conducing a model search in place of an Opera casting call. The Opera company told NY Post:

“Casting is at the discretion of the creative team. Due to a change in concept, the Met is in the process of recasting.”

- via NY Post

The claim that she cannot design for non-model figures is ridiculous, almost as ridiculous as conducting a model search in place of an Opera casting. The issue is Miuccia’s hesitance to have her designs endorsed by non-model types. The collaboration between Prada and Met Opera is a PR move, and high end brand Prada will still want to be associated with high end standards of beauty.

Miuccia’s demands not out of character, but the actions of the Met are a surprise. The Prada designed costumes might be amazing, but is holding Opera extras to a particular standard of beauty worth it? Extras or not, there is something fundamentally wrong about enforcing a standard of size for a role that dosen’t require it.

Prada’s influence on the Opera house has left the impression that is really does not matter who you are, or how you perform, all that matters is what you are wearing.